BOZEMAN – What started as one resident’s vocal desire to be able to enjoy the Summer Farmer’s Market in Lindley Park in her wheelchair is now starting to become a reality. Ability Montana and the City of Bozeman have teamed up on a project to construct accessible trails in Lindley Park, allowing people with disabilities to be able to safely maneuver independently around the park. Construction on the trails has recently started and is expected to be completed in time for the First Annual Bozeman ADA Celebration, held on Saturday, July 25, to celebrate ADA month and the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Celebration starts with a 5K and Fun Run, with registration for the run available on the website.  
Prior to the start of the trail improvements, people with disabilities, seniors with mobility challenges, parents with strollers, and more had to navigate an uneven mulch surface that had steep grades in certain sections, making it challenging to maneuver without assistance from another person. 

“Projects like this one that increase someone’s access to the park are good for everyone, as they increase everyone’s ability to safely walk through a space,” explained Bozeman Mayor Joey Morrison. “We’re glad that Ability Montana and residents spoke out about the need for this improvement, and that we were able to find ways to make it work. Their input has resulted in a better space for everyone in our community.” 

Ability Montana applied for the City’s Community Grant program, winning $42,000 to complete the project. The final improvements will involve a gravel surface loop in the area close to the road where food trucks line up in the summer. 

“I’m thrilled to see that this part of the park is going to become more accessible to all of us with compromised mobility and also make the park more accessible and easier for all able bodies and vendors as well,” said Liz Ann Kudrna, the resident who first vocalized concerns about the park. “We will all be able to enjoy the many events in the park or just sitting in the trees there if we wish!” 

More information on the Community Grant program is available at https://www.bozemanmt.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/planning-and-development. 

BOZEMAN – Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University announced today that its executive director for nearly eight years, Christopher Dobbs, will step down to lead a history museum in upstate New York.

Dobbs has led the internationally recognized Museum of the Rockies since 2018, guiding the institution through a period of significant growth, expanded community engagement, and transformational investments in exhibitions, facilities, collections and long-term strategic planning.

“It has been an incredible privilege to serve Museum of the Rockies,” said Dobbs, who will become executive director of the Adirondack Experience, The Museum at Blue Mountain Lake in New York. “Together, we expanded research initiatives, strengthened and grew the collections, developed groundbreaking exhibitions and educational programs, and deepened the museum’s connection to our community.

“I am deeply proud of what our team has accomplished and confident the museum is exceptionally well positioned for the future.”

During Dobbs’ tenure, MOR’s annual visitation and program participation increased to more than 250,000 from 189,000, and the museum is on pace to set record attendance records in 2026. He also successfully guided the museum through the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining financial stability, organizational momentum and continued public engagement.

Under his leadership, the museum launched a comprehensive 20-year master planning effort; earned reaccreditation through the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction achieved by only approximately 3% of museums nationwide; and made substantial investments in the experience for visitors.

Major accomplishments include upgrades to the museum’s primary galleries, lobby and the Taylor Planetarium; improvements to the paleontology laboratories; the establishment of an exhibits endowment; and the launch of a museum café.

“Chris and the MOR team have demonstrated exceptional leadership and fiscal stewardship during a time when many museums across the country faced significant operational and financial challenges,” said Stephanie Dickson, chair of the MOR Board of Trustees. “Because of that leadership, the museum has been able to reinvest in facilities, expand staffing, strengthen programming and continue growing its impact across the region.”

“Chris’ leadership has put the Museum of the Rockies in a strong and healthy position that it will be able to

Tessman has appointed the museum’s senior director of exhibitions and planetarium, Scott Williams, to serve as interim executive director while a committee is formed to lead a national search for the next permanent executive director.

“I want to thank Scott for his willingness to serve in this interim role,” the president said. “I know he’ll do an outstanding job and keep the momentum going for the museum.”

Williams, who has been a fan of fossils since his youth, has over 23 years of museum experience. He served as fossil lab and field manager and as collections and exhibitions director for the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois, and he led important dinosaur digs in the Hell Creek and Morrison formations. He has an Associate of Science from Rock Valley College, studied geology at Northern Illinois University and is a member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. He has been with MOR since 2017.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and honored to serve in this role. I look forward to continuing the work that Museum of the Rockies does to bring the history and paleontology of our region alive for our visitors,” Williams said.

Dobbs’ final day with the museum will be June 30.

There's a particular kind of care that goes into preparing your home for someone you love. You think about what they'll want for breakfast. You clear a drawer. You leave the hall light on. These are quiet expressions of “I'm glad you're here and want you to feel it”.Here’s how furniture communicates that to your guests. 

What Home Actually Gives People

Research in environmental psychology describes home as a place of refuge, acceptance, comfort, and renewal — a psychological sanctuary where people can let their guard down and simply rest. That need doesn't disappear when someone is sleeping under someone else's roof. If anything, it becomes more acute. Being a guest means being slightly out of place, slightly dependent, slightly at the mercy of a space that isn't shaped around you.

The host's job, at its core, is to close that distance and make a person feel that the space, for however long they're in it, has made room for them.

Neuroscience research shows that oxytocin — the hormone associated with calm and social bonding — is released not just by physical comfort, but by warm company. A home that genuinely tends to a guest's physical comfort doesn't just make the visit more pleasant — it deepens the connection between the people in it. Actions speak louder than words, and in this case, the action of implementing the right furniture is key to communicating.

The Gap Between Wanting to Host and Being Ready To

Most people who love hosting think about the table — the food, the drinks, the conversation that stretches past midnight. What gets less attention is what happens when the evening winds down and the guest needs somewhere to actually sleep.

An air mattress on a hardwood floor sends a message, even when nothing is said. So does a pull-out with a bar through the middle. These aren't failures of hospitality in spirit — they're gaps between intention and infrastructure. The host cares. The space just hasn't caught up.

A sofa bed closes that gap in the most practical way, living as a proper sofa, present and composed every day of the year, and converts into a proper sleeping surface when your guests need one. A sofa bed anticipates the needs of your guests with intentionality.

Why the Material Matters More Than You'd Think

Full-grain leather is warm without being heavy, structured without being stiff. The natural oils in the hide make it soft and pliable from the first sit, and it breathes in a way synthetic materials don't, staying comfortable through a long evening of conversation and a full night of sleep. Over time it softens further, developing the kind of worn-in character that makes a piece feel less like furniture and more like part of the house.

Environmental psychologists note that the objects we choose for our homes act as extensions of identity — signals of safety and belonging that say, in effect, you're welcome in this space. A leather sofa bed isn't just a practical solution. It's an intentional one — the kind that communicates, without any words, that the guest's comfort was thought about before they arrived.

The Morning After

There's a particular warmth in the morning after a good night's sleep at someone's home. The guest comes to the kitchen unhurried, without the particular exhaustion that comes from a bad night on a thin mattress.

 BOZEMAN, Montana (May 20, 2026)— Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer travel for many Montanans, but it’s also the beginning of what safety officials call the “100 Deadliest Days.” This is the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities typically spike. 

To help prevent impaired driving crashes, the Bozeman Police Department is increasing patrols over the long weekend. In coordination with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Belgrade Police Department, Montana State University Police Department, the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP), Gallatin County 911 and the Montana Department of Transportation’s Vision Zero initiative, Officers, Deputies and Troopers will be focused on stopping impaired drivers and keeping roads safe for everyone. 

“While this weekend is about honoring and remembering, it also brings heavy traffic on our roads,” said Bozeman Police Patrol Captain Hal Richardson. “If you’re taking advantage of the long weekend, remember to be responsible. Arrange a sober ride so we can all make it home safely.” 

Montana consistently ranks among the states with the highest percentage of traffic deaths caused by impaired driving. Law enforcement is urging everyone to help change that trend by planning ahead.

 “Impaired driving remains one of the most avoidable risks we face,” Richardson said. “Planning your ride before you drink can be the difference between a safe night and a tragedy.” 

Tips for Staying Safe This Weekend:
Designate a Sober Driver: Choose someone in your group who will not be drinking.
Find a Ride: If you’ve been drinking, call a taxi, use a rideshare app, or ask a sober friend for a ride.
Be a Responsible Host: If you’re hosting, make sure your guests have safe ways to get home.
Speak Up: Don’t let friends or loved ones drive impaired. Take their keys and help them get home safely.
Buckle Up: Seatbelts are your best defense against impaired drivers.
Report Dangerous Driving: If you see a suspected impaired driver, keep a safe distance and call 911. 

For more information about Vision Zero, contact Tammy Ross, Montana Department of Transportation, 406-444-9192, or tross@mt.gov.